Friday, May 11, 2012

Ghosts in Asia: To Haunt or Not to Haunt?

by Courtney Mroch

I asked Annie of FootTracker if she’d be interested in doing a guest blog. I noticed a pattern in some of her comments on my posts. After reading her post, “Proper” Way to Enter a Hotel Room, my suspicions were confirmed: We share an interest in ghosts and the paranormal. However, she appreciates a different cultural perspective of it. That’s what I asked if she’d be interested in guest blogging about. To my delight, she was!

Snuggling on the couch after work, holding a bowl of popcorn in my right hand, grabbing a pillow with my left hand, while enjoying shows like Ghost Hunters, Paranormal State, Destination Truth, and Celebrity Ghost Stories, has been my favorite weekly activities for some time now. The shows signify an era when people are able to watch the paranormal activities right in the comfort of their house without worries. Furthermore, the shows also created some buzz for the haunted destinations that many businesses and hotels probably appreciated too.

But do we share the same passion and interest across the world? Let’s take a closer look.

1. Many scary movies from Japan have negative impressions about the supernatural. “Ju-on: The Grudge” perhaps is the best example of such movie: A house that looks so normal, just like any other location, has relations to many deaths and disappearances. Their legends, religion, and media, may have influenced the belief that having ghosts in their own house is unlucky, or rather creepy. Because paranormal activities and ghosts are often associated with unexplained death or car accidents, it is rumored to be part of the reason why government put on exclamation road signs at certain locations (talked about by a Japanese television show).